Psychological Interview Tricks – Get that job

When you go for a job interview it’s a very stressful time, often our true selves cannot shine through because we are too focused on the intense feelings of anxiety.

You get into the interview room and you start to talk but that ‘fight or flight’ response has kicked in and you are now either a jabbering train-wreak talking at 100mph or you are so dry mouthed that you are sticking to one word answers.

The longer you are in the interview the hotter it seems to get and the less sense you seem to make.

Finally, it’s all over and you can go and wipe down those arm-pits in the toilet sink while looking in the mirror at a person that has just messed-up another interview.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We are going to share with you a number of psychological techniques that will enable you to make a better impression in your job interviewing process.

Is it cheating?

Kinda, but since you’re not really yourself in that stressed awkward state, we thought that some psychological trickery can help you to balance the scales for you:

 

1. Be Remembered

With a whole load of interviews happening during a day it can be hard for your prospective employer to remember you. However, people tend to remember the first and last instances of things much more clearly. So if you are able to book a specific interview time as for the first time available or the last, that way you will be a more memorable candidate.

 

2. Get a Grip

A poor handshake can put an interviewer off as it has connotations of untrustworthiness. However, what is often overlook is the temperature of a hand. When stressed or anxious blood-flow is reduced at the extremities, this often leads to cool hands. In studies people found those who shook hands with a warm hand to me more liked, so make sure you warm up those hands, even if under a hand dryer.

 

3. It’s in the Eyes

Not enough eye-contact creates the impression of a weaker person, too much and you seem like a psychopath. To get the best level of eye contact simply make a mental note of the interviewer’s eye colour. The time it takes to do this will allow you to make the appropriate amount of eye-contact in that initial meeting.

 

4. Question the Questioner

Asking questions of the interviewer will make them engage more with you and also make you appear interested in the job you are applying for. When you get a question, try and ask a question back:

“What qualities can you bring to this position?”

“I have a whole host of talents, which qualities do you feel will be most useful in this role?”

 

5. Name Your Price

When you think of all the people an interviewer will be seeing, it’s easy to understand why they may struggle to remember all of the candidate’s names. If you can remember the interviewer’s name and use it frequently (but not too often) during the interview it will make you appear more likeable. Most other candidates may be too nervous to even hear the name in the first place!